Apparatus for evaporating and concentrating liquids.



No. 896,460. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908. G. L. PRAGHB & G. G. V. BOUILLON. APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATING AND GONGENTRATING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED D20. 13, 1905.

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No. 896,460. PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

G. L. PRAGHE 6: G. G. V. BOUILLON.

APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATING AND GONGENTRATING LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED DIE-0.13, 1905.

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Wit 5555 /v 0/5 v wt UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. CHARLES LOUIS PRACHE AND CHARLES GUSTAVE VICTOR BOUILLON, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

To all whom it ma A Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

Application filed December 13, 1905. Serial No. 291,678.

concern:

Be it known t at we, CHARLES LOUIS PRACHE -and CHARLES GUSTAVE VICTOR BOUILLON, citizens of the Republic of France, and residents of Paris, France, haveinvented a new and useful Ap aratus for Evaporating and Concentrating L1 uids, which ap aratus is fully set forth in the ollowing s cm cation.

The present invention has for 1ts object to provide a single-acting apparatus for the evaporation or concentration of liquids, this apparatus being characterized by the systematic circulation of the li uids to be concentrated in a single receptac e, these liquids, during their circulation and in view of their concentration, being raised to ebullition by the vapor that they emit in the apparatus, which vapor is sucked in a continuous manner and forced in the'same. manner, after compression, around the assemblage of tubes traversed by the liquids, in their systematic circulation.

In order that the invention may be readily and clearly understood the apparatus in ac-.

cordance with the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the apparatus. Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic horizontal section, on a reduced scale, through the upper part of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line AA of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically the application of the invention to an apparatus for multiple efiect (a triple-acting apparatus for example). i

The apparatus comprises broadly: the evaporation chest (1. A rotary vapor compressor b. An automatic feed device 0.

Evaporation chest.Two horizontal circular tube' plates at d, are united one to the other by vertical tubes extending slightly beyond the tube plate (1 and by a cylinder 6 forming a heating chamber' ermltting of containing, outside the tubes, t e vapor necessary for producing the evaporation of the liquids to be concentrated. The un'con.

densed vapors are discharged to the exterior by means of the pi es f, g, h, i as shown in Fig. 1 The cond ensation waters are discharged to the exterior through the ipes j k. Another cylinder Z, fixed upon tl e u per tube plate (1, forms with the interior 0 the tubes and the bottom m of the apparatus, which is fixed to the lower tube late at, an ebullition chamber in which the iquid to be concentrated circulates. The outer faces of the tube plates (1 and d are divided into an equal number of compartments by means of vertical radial artitions; seven compartments may be ormed, for example, numbered 1 to 7. The partitions of the up er tube plate (1 are directed u wards and reach a certain height in the e ullition chamber. The partitions carrying the lower tube plate (1 are directed downwards and form joints with the bottom m. A compartment of the upper tube late being arranged just above that of the ower tube plate, the whole constituted by these two compartments forms with the interior of the tubes a single compartment in which the liquid to be concentrated circulates.

At the center of each of the compartments, a central vertical return-tube n, the diameter of which is larger than that of the other tubes, unites the two tube plates by their outer faces. This tube it extends beyond the upper tube plated by an amount less than the projection of the small tubes. Inside each of the lar e tubes and at about one third its height romthe lower tube plate d, there is arranged a tube o of smaller'diameter, communicating at p with the succeeding compartment. A horizontal battle 1" carried by riphery of the com artment after its arrival through p. The in et for the liquid into one compartment is therefore the outlet for the liquld which has been concentrated in the precedin compartment. The admission of the 'li ui to the compartment No. 1 is controlle by an automatic feed device 0. The

discharge of the liquid concentrated to the desired degree takes place at 8.

Continuous vapor compressor.This' is a rotary com ressor or a compressor operating b jet action sucking the steam from the e ullition chamber through the pi e t and forcing it, after having compresse it, into the heating chamber through the pipe u. 7

Automatic feed apparatus.-This a paratus consists of a float controlling 2. ba anced iston permitting of the admission of more or ess of the liquid into the ebullition chamber (compartment No. 1).

, extremity of this tube 0.

Operati0n.The liquid, which the feed ap paratus allows to pass, enters the compartment N0. 1 through the ipe 1;, becomes distributed around the ba e r and enters the tubes at the periphery where it begins to boil and to become vaporized under the influence of the direct vapor which is admitted into the heating chamber exclusively for starting, before the liquid to be concentrated has emitted sufficient vapor to be itself forced into the heating chamber. The liquid then falls outside the tubes upon the up er tube plate d accumulating there between t e partitions of the compartment No. 1 until the moment at which its level reaches the upper part of the large tube n. Theliquid then flows into the tube n and falls upon the baffle 1",16COH1- mcncing its circulation in the small tubes until the moment at which its level attains the upper extremity of the tube 0 into which it flows in order to pass through 7) into the compartment No. 2. The liquid already concentrated which flows into the conduit n opposes the ascent of the liquid entering the compartment; this action completes the office of the baffle 1" previously indicated. A part of the liquid which descends through the conduit 12 of compartment 1, falling upon the baffle, spreads horizontally over this latter and rises in the tubes of the zone adjacent to the central tube n; another part of this liquid will enter the tube 0 when the level of the liquid in the conduit n has risen above the Durin starting,

the discharge of the concentrated hquid from the apparatus is regulated in such a manner that 1n each conduit n the level of the liquid, is above the extremity of the corres onding tube 0 during the normal operation of the apparatus.

The heating of the different compartments of the apparatus and the consequent concentration of the liquid are roduced b means of the vapor-compressor which 001 sets the vapors from the u per part of the evaporation-chest or ebul ition-chamber, and after compressing them forces them in compressed condition about the walls of the compartments. It is evident that this rise in pressure which takes place when the vapors are compressed by the compressor 1) is accompanied with a corresponding rise in temperature, and hence the vapors, when they arrive in contact with the walls of the different compartments, are heated to a much higher degree than when they are withdrawn from the ebullition-chamber. Accordingly the vapor-compressor serves to further heat the vapors and force them about the compartments in such a manner that the liquid in all of said compartments is subjected to great heat and is therefore concentrated to the required degree.

The rise of the liquid in the small tubes of the compartments is produced by the boiling of the'liquid in said tubes, the bubbles of vapor which are formed in the midst of the liquid filling said tubes and in order to disengage themselves acquiring great speed in their vertical movement and by this movement drawing up the liquid itSLlf. The li uid is thus projected vertically out of eac tube in an intimate mixture with the vapor which has im arted to such liquid a part of its ascensiona force. The liquid thus projected out of each tube falls back on the u per tube-plate and by the large central tu e is conducted downwardly to the next compartment so as to produce the circulation of the liquid successively through all of the compartments. v

The vapors which are compressed by the compressor and forced into the heating chamber in order to heat the heating-tubes thereinare condensed by contacting with said tubes and the water of condensation is conducted off from said heating-chamber through the pipes j, k previously described. The uncondensed vapors are discharged to the exterior of the apparatus through the pipes f, g, h, '21 previously mentioned. These pipes communicate with the heating-chamber at its upper part and are located'within the ebullition-chamber, as shown in Fig. 1.

By providing them the vapors-are caused to circulate through the heating-chamber and then pass out of the apparatus, after which they can be put to a suitable use. As this means of escape for the va ors is provided the pressure in the heating-c amber does not become too great, nor is the work of the pump increased by compression of the vapors in the heating-chamber.

It should be clearly understood that when the a paratus is operating, the liquid which has a ready been concentrated by its passage through the tubes of the compartment 1, passes from this compartment into compartment .2 where it is again concentrated, and so on in succession up to compartment 7, from which the liquid concentrated to the desired degree is discharged from the ap aratus; this circulation is rendered possib e by the automatic establishment of a difference of level in the tubes n of the different compartments the level of the liquid in the tube n of com artment 1 being higher than that in the tu e n of compartment 2 and so on in succession, and this isso owing to the differences in density of the liquid .as its concentration progresses. The circulation therefore continues to the compartment 7 from 'which the concentrated liquid is discharged.

As has been shown, the concentration of the liquid is effected by a single operation in a speclal ap ress of the 1 uid and a single heatin chamber. -It is of course possible to uti ize the paratus by the methodical progmultiple efl'eets already known industrially and by means of a simple conversion which is hereinafter indicated, to obtain, with these ammratus, an operation identical with that described above.

ousidering a triple-acting apparatus, by way of example, Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically the transformation that it must undergo in order to permit of its single-action operation in the same conditions as the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1. In this figure, x, y, 2 represent the three chests: a 3 ands represent the outlets for the vapor proceeding to a collector 10 which is the suction member of the compressor forcing the vapor compressed in each ol the heating chambers of the chests m, y, 2. 'lhe unconeentrated liquid enters the lirst chest at at S, circulates in the manner which has been explained relatively to compartment No. 1 of the single chest (Fig. ll; it issues at E) and enters the second chest j/ where it is submitted to a similar circulation, becomes rather more concentrated and passes into the chest 2, finally issuing concentrated to the desired degree at 10, either through a siphon, extraction pump or other appropriate means.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An apparatus for evaporating and concentrating liquids, comprising a casing, a plurality of compartments arranged in series in said casing and to which the li uid successively passes, and means for co ecting the vapors formed by the boiling of the liquid in said compartments and forcing the same under pressure directly and simultaneously about said compartments in such a manner as to heat the latter.

2. An apparatus for evaporating and concentrating liquids, comprising a casing, a plurality of heating-compartments in the lower part of said casing to which the liquid successively passes, an ebullition-chamber above said compartments and communicating with all of the same, and means for withdrawing the vapors from said ebullitionchamber and compressing the same and then forcing such vapors about said compartments.

3. In an apparatus for evaporating and concentrating liquids, the combination of a casing, a circular series of heating-compartments in the lower part of said casing, each compartment including a plurality of tubes through which the liquid circulates, an ebullition-chamber above said compartments into which the vapors issue from said tubes, and means to withdraw the vapors from said chamber and force the same under pressure about the tubes of all said compartments.

4. In an apparatus for evaporating and concentrating liquids, the combination of a casing, horizontal tube-plates in said casing forming between them a chamber, vertical tubes in said chamber connecting said tubeplates, partitions disposed above and below said tube-plates and dividing the easing into a plurality of compartments each of which connnunicates with a number of said tubes, means to connect said compartments in series, means to introduce the liquid into one of said compartments, and means to withdraw the vapors from the upper portion of the casing and force them into the chamber in which said tubes are disposed.

5. In an apparatus for evaporating and concentrating liquids, a casing, superposed horizontal tube-plates arranged therein, tubes connecting said tul. eplates, partitions above and below said tube-plates and constituting compartments each of which communicates with a number of said tubes, a return-tube in each compartment connecting said tube-plates, pipes connecting said compartments at their lower portions and cxtending upwardly into said return-tubes, and a battle-plate arranged below the tubes in each compartment.

6. In an apparatus for evaporating and concentrating liquids, in combination, a casing, superposed horizontal tube-plates arranged therein, tubes connecting said tubeplates, a plurality of compartments each of which communicates with a number of said tubes, a large return-tube n in each compartment extending between said tube-plates, pipes 0 connecting said compartments in series and extending upwardly into said return-tubes, and a baffle-plate 1" carried by each otsaid pipes below the lower tubeplate.

7. In an apparatus for evaporating and concentrating liquids, in combination, a casing, superposed horizontal tube-plates therein, vtubes connecting said tube-plates and extending above the upper tube-plate, and return-tubes also connecting said tubeplates but which extend above said upper tube-plate to a less extent than said firstnamed tubes.

8, In an apparatus for evaporating and concentrating liquids, in combination, a casing, horizontal tube-plates arranged therein, one above the other, tubes connecting said tube-plates, radially-disposed vertical partitions above and below said plates and constituting compartments each of which communicates with a number of said tubes, a large return-tube connecting the tube-plates in each compartment, a pipe extending upwardly into each such return-tube and communicating with the adjacent compartment at a point below the lower tube-plate, a feeddevice communicating with one of said compartments at its lower portion, a compressor,

a suction-pipe leading from eaid cqmpressor epecification in the presence of two subscribinto the upper portlon of sald oasmgabove lng-wltnesses.

said compartments, and a pipe through CHARLES LOUIS PRACHE.

which the vapors are forced from said com- CHARLES, GUSTAVE VICTOR BOUILLON. 5 pressor into the chamber formed between Witnesses:

said tube-plates. EMILE LEDRET,

In testimony whereof we have signed this HANSON 0. Com]. 

